Research performed by Scamadviser.com, part of Ecommerce Foundation, shows that some countries are dealing with a lot of potential scam websites. The company helps over 2.5 million consumers monthly to check if a website is legit or a possible scam.
The algorithm of Scamadviser utilizes 40 independent data sources. From the IP address of the webserver, the availability of contact details on the website, the age of the URL, ratings on review sites and more. The website warns consumers not only about online shopping scams (webshops that never deliver) but also phishing sites, notorious spammers and online stores selling fake products.
Based on a recent analysis of 22.5 million websites in its database, 3% of the websites have a trust score below 30%, meaning Scamadviser has serious concerns about the reliability of the website. 13% of all websites have a trust score below 70, meaning that it is wise for consumers to do an additional check before they shop. For exactly this situation, Scamadviser offers an extensive checklist.
| Country | Websites analyzed | Average Trust Score |
Trust Score Below 70% | Trust Score Below 30 |
| Argentina | 115526 | 93 | 3% | 0.6% |
| China | 1294266 | 64 | 53% | 12% |
| Denmark | 162658 | 94 | 4% | 0.7% |
| France | 462517 | 91 | 8% | 2% |
| Germany | 818395 | 89 | 8% | 2% |
| Italy | 325019 | 91 | 7% | 1% |
| Greece | 106262 | 94 | 3% | 0.48% |
| Hungary | 123235 | 95 | 3% | 0.53% |
| Netherlands | 283221 | 89 | 8% | 1% |
| Portugal | 51235 | 89 | 10% | 2% |
| Romania | 39289 | 77 | 25% | 6% |
| Russia | 542815 | 77 | 29% | 4% |
| Ukraine | 89182 | 76 | 27% | 5% |
| United Kingdom | 1311488 | 81 | 8% | 2% |
| United States | 8188444 | 73 | 8% | 2% |
Trust Score Analysis per Country
The country benchmark seems to be that 2% to 3% of the websites have a trust score below 30% and 7% to 8% below 70%. Apart from several very small countries (Eritrea, Tuvalu, Benin, Swaziland), China has the most unreliable websites (12%), followed by the United States with 9%. Among the bigger countries, Greece, Hungary, Argentina and Denmark are countries with the least number of online scams. The full table is available online.
Jorij Abraham, General Manager of Ecommerce Foundation, elaborates: “The Scamadviser Trust Score” is an indication of the reliability of the website. While we continuously expand and improve our algorithm, there is always room for improvement. We see that some countries are combating online scams better than others. Denmark and the Netherlands, for example, are improving the due diligence process before you can acquire a .dk or .nl name. Also, their notice and takedown processes have improved significantly over the last few years. By using algorithms like those of Scamadviser, country registries can clean up their domain names and continuously monitor if new scammers start using their country extension.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
